Prologue: A Hero’s Worries
◇ Hero Abel’s Perspective ◇
Two days had passed since Makoto and Lady Helemmelk had left for Labyrinthos, and my training was going nowhere. I prayed and prayed, but I couldn’t hear any response from the goddess.
I let out a sigh. To try and clear my mind, I picked up my sword and began to practice. From somewhere nearby, I heard Momo cheering. “Yay! I did it!” I glanced over and saw that she’d just succeeded in a short-distance teleport.
“You’re amazing, Momo. It took you so little time to learn a new spell.”
She shook her head. “I’ve still got a long way to go. I can’t do it unless I use the incantation, so my teleports won’t be helpful in a real fight. Sir Makoto said that if you can’t cast a spell without the incantation, it’s useless.”
“Maybe he’s a little harsh,” I mused. I thought her achievement was impressive for someone of Momo’s age—Makoto was assigning her rather lofty goals.
“After that,” she continued, “I’m learning Serenity and Stealth. Also, since I’m a vampire, I should be able to use Transform to turn into a mist or a bat, so I need to learn that too.”
“What odd training.” Wasn’t she going to learn anything offensive? After all, she had the Sage skill, which should make her perfect for that role.
But when I pointed this out, she disagreed.
“According to Sir Makoto, I need to be able to escape stronger opponents first.”
“But he’s so strong, so why...?” I trailed off, only half asking the question.
“I know,” she said. “Still, I’m sure that doing what he instructs is the best choice!”
Momo seemed to completely trust his words. I was jealous.
“He could give me some guidance as well...” I muttered. Before he’d left, I’d asked him what I should be doing. But he had just left me to it, asserting that there was nothing he could advise. Maybe it was because he trusted me? But I wanted to rely on him as well.
“I’d listen to whatever he said.” I remained lost in thought for a moment, but when I felt eyes on me, I snapped back. “Momo?”
She stared silently for a few seconds. “Why are you a girl now?”
“Huh?” I glanced down and found that I’d transformed into Anna.
“You thought of him and turned into a girl,” said Momo. “I knew it, you—”
“U-Uh, Momo?” The look on her face was unnerving me.
“You love Sir Makoto, don’t you?”
“Wha?!” Her question made me drop my practice blade.
“I knew it...”
“Y-You’re misunderstanding, Momo!” I waved my hands around in a panic, but Momo just stared fixedly at me.
Just as I was trying to think up some excuse, a huge white dragon soared into the temple grounds.
Lady Helemmelk! They were back?
But when I turned to greet them, I noticed the lack of Makoto.
“Welcome back, Teacher,” said Momo.
I tilted my head. “Lady Helemmelk, is Makoto not with you?”
In contrast to our calm greetings, Mel yelled out in a panic, “Hero, with me! The elementalist was attacked by Demon Lord Cain!”
Momo and I both gasped as our expressions spasmed into fear.
In no time, Lady Helemmelk and I set off, rushing toward Makoto.
“Are you sure it was wise to leave Momo behind?” I asked. The girl had begged us, tears overflowing, to take her along. However, Lady Helemmelk had refused.
“We had no other choice—Makoto is facing a demon lord. More importantly, have you gained some measure of control over the attack that damaged Demon Lord Cain in Labyrinthos?”
“W-Well...” I stammered. The truth was, I hadn’t managed to use it except for that one time. It was a magic sword technique I’d wielded only by chance. Could I somehow summon it again to launch a strike against Demon Lord Cain?
“You are the only one capable of harming the demon lord!” Mel exclaimed. “We need to hurry!”
“R-Right!”
My grip tightened on my newly obtained sword.
Makoto...please be safe.
Several hours passed before Lady Helemmelk called out to me. “We’re here! This should be the place.”
I stiffened, feeling suddenly wary. I could see only the aftereffects of various magic attacks—shattered patches of earth and such. There were no signs of either combatant. He couldn’t already be...
“Hero, look!”
I whipped my head around and stared. Someone was over there.
“I see smoke,” I murmured.
Mel nodded grimly. “Let’s go.”
“We need to be careful.”
With bated breath, we approached the smoke.
“That smell...” Mel’s brow furrowed as we spotted a figure whose back was turned to us.
That’s...Makoto! Thank goodness, he’s safe.
“What are you doing, Elementalist?” Lady Helemmelk demanded sharply. At first, I didn’t understand why she was angry. But upon closer inspection, I saw that Makoto was...
“Oh, Mel, Abel. I was waiting for you two,” he said, turning around from where he was tending to some fish on a campfire. “Want some food?”
I felt all the energy leave my body as I collapsed to my knees.
“Are you okay?! You weren’t hurt?!”
Momo clung to him, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“I’m back, Momo,” he said, soothing her.
“What about the demon lord?!” she exclaimed. “I heard you got attacked by Demon Lord Cain!”
“Yeah, but Dia and I managed to drive him off.”
Momo was now full of energy and leaping around in happiness. “A-Amazing! I knew you were strong!”
Indeed, Makoto didn’t have a scratch on him from the battle.
Why did I even rush out after him...?
“Don’t push yourself too far, Elementalist,” said Lady Melemmelk. Her voice was weary. “I’m going to rest now.” At that, she retired to her bed. Well, she had rushed there and back without sleeping.
“How’s your training been going, Momo?” asked Makoto.
Momo giggled. “Watch! I can use Teleport! At least, if I use the incantation!”
“Wow! Nice one! That’ll come in handy when we fight the demon lords. We can add it to our strategy.”
“Praise me more!” She kept giggling. “Also, gimme a hug!”
“Well done, well done.”
The two of them continued playing around for a while. They have so much energy... All I’d done was ride on the back of Lady Helemmelk and yet I felt exhausted. So, I decided to follow her example and take a nap.
It was dark when I awoke. Lady Helemmelk and Momo were sleeping in their own beds. However, Makoto was nowhere to be found. I rose and left the temple, looking for him.
There he is...
Thousands of butterflies conjured using water magic were fluttering through the air. Does he not even bother to rest? Does he always keep up his training like this? Even though he just fought a demon lord?
“You’re awake, Abel?”
He shouldn’t have been able to see me, but he’d somehow managed to greet me before I could open my mouth.
“I just woke up. Also, please call me Anna when I’m like this.” Recently, I’d spent all of my time in my avian form, so I was indeed Anna.
I walked over and sat at his side.
“Thanks for coming today, Anna.”
“I didn’t do anything, though.” The demon lord had vanished by the time Mel and I had arrived...and I’d been relieved. Even though that monster took my mentor from me.
“Oh, right,” said Makoto. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
My back stiffened with fear and anticipation about what he might say. “O-Okay, what is it?”
In the end, it was nothing too bad. Apparently, in a week’s time, he was going to do some training at a place called the Seafloor Temple.
“Um...can’t you train here?” I asked hesitantly.
“There isn’t much water here,” he said casually, “so I may as well try somewhere else. Somewhere with plenty of it.”
He was going out of his way to train in a dungeon? One of the last dungeons?
“We only have a year to get stronger, so I need to train hard,” he insisted, his eyes gleaming in excitement.
Right... He was going off again. Far away. He never could sit still. And now I was just going to be waiting for him.
“Uh, Makoto, please listen to me.”
Before I knew it, I was squeezing the fabric of his clothes between my fingers and pleading.
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